And both Reform's chair and a member of their ‘Doge’ cost-cutting team resigned last night…
Reform UK plunged into turmoil last night as chair Zia Yusuf and tech entrepreneur Nathaniel Fried, a member of its new Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), resigned over the party’s burqa ban policy.
Meanwhile, pressure is piling on the party’s treasurer Nick Candy to deliver on his donation promises.
According to the Financial Times, senior Reform UK figures are beginning to grow frustrated with Candy, stating that his big donations have failed to materialise, including his own promise to donate a seven-figure sum.
The billionaire property developer has talked big about how he will bring in tens of millions of pounds in donations, and claimed that wealthy businesspeople are on the brink of donating big sums.
But where is the money?
Two senior figures have voiced concerns that the money coming in does not match Candy’s rhetoric. Not only that, but they think that his public boasts may be putting off donors.
According to sources, the former Tory donor has only donated a portion of the six-figure sum he pledged six months ago, despite repeatedly saying he would cough up the full amount.
One senior source told the FT: “There is significant disquiet around the party generally that he has not only failed to deliver on the amount he pledged to give the party personally, but also he’s talked about these tens of millions of pounds of pledges from other donors and they don’t materialise.”
They added: “He has been all talk and no trousers.”
Another said Reform had “not been receiving as much as I’d like” recently, adding: “There is pressure on Nick.”
Nigel Farage defended Nick Candy, saying he is “immensely grateful” to the billionaire and that Candy is “well on his way” to fulfilling the six-figure donation he promised.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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